Developer, Morris address data center proposal in virtual town hall
Developers from Tract held a virtual town hall in Morris, Illinois, to address community concerns regarding a proposed 1-gigawatt data center. The project, planned for land already zoned industrial, faces opposition from residents who submitted a petition requesting an in-person meeting. The developer also committed $10 million to the city's new water treatment plant.
Tract, a data center master developer, held virtual town halls to address community questions and concerns regarding its proposed 1-gigawatt data center on U.S. Route 6 and Gun Club Road in Morris, Illinois.
Erin Fosdick, representing Tract, clarified that Tract develops data centers for sale to end-users such as Microsoft, Google, or Meta. Mayor Chris Brown provided historical context, noting that the land for the proposed data center was rezoned from agricultural to industrial in 2007-2008, and Tract purchased 340 acres from Clarius Partners in 2025.
Ethan Marks, Tract's site planning engineer, stated that the company has committed $10 million to the city's new water treatment plant. According to internal projections by Ernst & Young, the project is expected to generate $900 million in tax revenue over 20 years and create 350 to 400 jobs.
The data center proposal has generated opposition in Morris, leading to a petition with over 100 signatures being submitted to the Business Development Committee. Petitioners expressed dissatisfaction with the virtual meeting format, requesting an in-person, open forum meeting with Tract representatives. Mayor Brown indicated the city is exploring potential tax reductions if the data center project proceeds.